John 7

— let him come unto me, and drink.] From the ceremony now before Him, He takes occasion to compare His doctrine to water, as He had in the foregoing chapter to bread; each being necessary for the support of life. Bp. Mann. I will give Him the spiritual water of wise instructions, and of the doctrine of eternal life, which, to the souls of all who really desire wisdom and happiness, is greater and more real refreshment, than natural water is to a thirsty body. Dr. S. Clarke.

Chap. VIII. ver. 1. — unto the mount of Olives.] Probably to Bethany, where He afterwards abode. See Matt. xxi. 17; Luke xxi. 37. Bp. Pearce.

John 7:5

5. Now Moses in the law commanded &c.] If the person taken in adultery was a married woman, the law required that she should be put to death, Lev. xx. 10; Deut. xxii. 22: if she was an espoused person, then the law expressly says, that she should be put to death by stoning, Deut. xxii. 23, 24; whence it has been concluded, that this adulteress was only espoused. Dr. Whitby.

John 7:6

6. — My time is not yet come.] For going up to the feast; “but your time is always ready” to go there without molestation from any one. Dr. Whitby. The eighth verse seems clearly to restrain these words to His going up to Jerusalem. Dr. Clagett.

7. — tempting him.] To say something in derogation of the law of Moses, that they might have a ground of accusation against Him for contemning or opposing that law. Dr. Whitby.

Their design was to lay a snare for Christ, and they thought they had so laid it, that He must fall into it either way. For, if He contradicted Moses by ordering the woman to be released, they would set Him down for a false prophet; and if, with Moses, He sentenced her to death, He must have acted contrary to His character of a merciful Saviour. Thus these Scribes and Pharisees, while they were clamouring for vengeance against adultery, forgot that there were any such sins as envy, hatred, and malice; and perceived not that they themselves were all the time in the gall of bitterness. The woman had broken one commandment; but these, her accusers, were overturning the foundations of the whole law, mercy, justice, and truth. So easy is it for men, who are not upon their guard, even while they are exerting themselves against some kinds of sins, to run into others; nor indeed can we be greatly surprised that they, who give up their whole attention to the concerns of their neighbours, should sometimes a little neglect their own. Bp. Horne.

— wrote on the ground.] Seeming not to regard

John 7:7

7. The world cannot hate you; &c.] Ye are in no danger of being hated and persecuted by worldly men, whilst ye yourselves are led by worldly principles and affections; but, so long as My doctrine reproves their wicked practices and carnal lusts, they will hate and oppose Me to the utmost of their power. Dr. Clagett.

John 7:10

10. — as it were in secret.] As privately as He could, to avoid the designs of those who sought His life, ver. 19. Dr. Whitby.

It seems probable from ver. 1, 7, 11, that the Jews had formed some treacherous design against Him. Thus, though our Lord determined to go to the feast in obedience to the Divine command, yet He went privately to avoid the danger; shewing in this manner, that He would not use a miraculous power to escape the designs of His enemies, when human prudence would serve. Dr. Clagett.

John 7:12

12. — much murmuring] Much private discourse of one man to another. Dr. Whitby.

— Nay; but he deceiveth the people.] Here again we should observe the great impartiality of the Evangelists. Abp. Newcome.

John 7:13

13. — no man spoke openly of him] Those who were most favourable to Him, durst not openly commend Him, for fear of the Jewish rulers. Bp. Mann.

John 7:15

15. — How knoweth this man letters.] Whence comes it, that He understands so well the books of the Law,

John 7:16

16. — My doctrine is not mine, &c.] My doctrine is not the effect of learning and study; but comes from the source of all knowledge and truth, even from God Himself. Bp. Mann.

John 7:17

17. — he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God.] God will enlighten his mind, so that he may form a right judgment of My doctrine. Dr. Hales. This sentence clearly shews us, that they best understand the will of God, who are most careful to practise it: so likewise, that the best way to know what God is, is to transcribe His perfections in our lives and actions; to be holy, and just, and good, and merciful, as He is: also that a hearty desire and endeavour to do the will of God is the best security and preservative against dangerous errors and mistakes in matters of religion. Abp. Tillotson.

These words instruct us, that a sincere desire to know the truth, with an honest disposition to conform our wills to it when known, is the best preservative against error in religion, and carries with it a well-grounded assurance of the Divine aid to assist persons so disposed, in their inquiries after truth. These words also carry in them this other assertion, that whoever is not first sincerely disposed to do the will of God, will be in great danger of not knowing the doctrine whether it be of God, and of remaining in a state of ignorance and error. Bp. Gibson.

John 7:18

18. He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory.] And therefore speaks not those things which he knows will procure him hatred from men. Dr. Whitby.

— the same is true, &c.] He is worthy of being believed, and there is no guile or deceit in Him. Dr. Hammond.

John 7:19

19. Did not Moses give you the law.] But it is otherwise with you, as being full of hypocrisy and guile: for “did not Moses give you the law,” for which you seem so zealous, as to be angry with Me for a supposed violation of it; and yet, after all this pretended zeal, none of you keepeth the law? “Why (else) go ye about to kill Me?” (In violation of the sixth commandment.) Dr. Whitby.

Christ teacheth in the temple.

John 7:20

20. — Thou hast a devil.] Thou art possess with a lying spirit. Dr. Whitby.

John 7:21

21. — I have done one work.] It appears (ver. 23.) that the Jews had at this time found fault with Jesus respecting His healing a man on the sabbath day. Perhaps they remembered and reproached Him with having done so, when He was at Jerusalem, about three months before, (chap. v. 9.) or else He had wrought a new miracle on the sabbath, shortly before this discourse between Him and the Jews took place. Bp. Pearce.

— ye all marvel.] Ye wonder that I should do so, and are angry with Me, ver. 23. Dr. Hammond.

John 7:22

22. Moses therefore gave unto you &c.] But with what little reason, judge ye by this case. If the eighth day after the birth of a male child fall on the sabbath, ye do yet circumcise him, notwithstanding the strict observance of the sabbath which the law of Moses requires. And this ye do, because this law, or rather a more ancient law given to Abraham, requires that every male should be circumcised on the eighth day. Dr. Clagett.

John 7:23

23. — because I have made a man — whole] For the law of doing good, and relieving the miserable at all times, is a more ancient and excellent law, than those Mosaical laws, which enjoin the sabbath, or the circumcision on the eighth day. Dr. Clagett.

John 7:24

24. Judge not according to the appearance, &c.] Lay aside your prejudices against My person, and consider these cases attentively and impartially; and then judge whether ye can justly condemn Me as a sabbath-breaker, and acquit yourselves. Dr. Clagett.

John 7:25

25, 26. — Is not this he, &c. — But, lo, he speaketh boldly, &c.] It is not very probable that this man should be afraid of a conspiracy against His life, who is not afraid to talk with this publick freedom in the temple, and is not so much as silenced by the council. One would rather conclude from His teaching in this publick manner, without control, that the rulers themselves had indeed acknowledged Him to be the Christ. Dr. Clagett.

John 7:27

27. Howbeit we know this man whence he is: &c.] But there is no such matter, and we ourselves can tell why He cannot be the Christ; for we know this man’s

parentage, and whence He came; “but when Christ cometh,” &c. Dr. Clagett.

— no man knoweth whence he is.] They spake this from the vain traditions of the rabbies, who owned indeed that their Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem, but imagined that He was soon to be conveyed thence, and concealed till Elias came to anoint Him; (Dr. Whitby.) or perhaps from a mistaken sense of Isai. liii. 8, “who shall declare His generation?” Bp. Pearce. Or from the similitude of Christ to Melchizedek, who was acknowledged to be a type of Him, and is described as being without father or mother, Heb. vii. 3. Bp. Mann.

John 7:28

28. Then cried Jesus — Ye both know me.] In answer to this cavil, Jesus said, Ye know indeed my person, parentage, and country; but this should not prejudice you against My being a Prophet sent from God; for I am not come of Myself, but He that sent Me, and hath given sufficient testimony that He did send Me, is true; whom ye own not, refusing to receive His testimony concerning Me. Dr. Whitby.

John 7:29

29. — for I am from him.] And thus have an original, of which ye know not. Dr. Whitby.

John 7:30

30. — his hour was not yet come.] The time which God had appointed for His death was not yet come. Bp. Mann.

John 7:31

31. — will he do more miracles] The people mention His miracles, because these are the proper means of carrying conviction to common people, who are not so much influenced by the intrinsic excellence of the doctrine, or even by the most popular discourses, as by signs and wonders. Dr. Clagett.

This passage (ver. 21—31.) is very observable. It exhibits the reasoning of different sorts of persons on the occasion of a miracle, which persons of all sorts are represented to have acknowledged as real. One sort of men thought that there was something very extraordinary in all this, but that still Jesus could not be the Christ, because there was a circumstance in His appearance, which militated with an opinion concerning Christ, in which they had been brought up; namely, that “when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence He is.” Another sort were inclined to believe Him to be the Messiah. But even these did not argue as we should;

He foretelleth his departure. Divers opinions concerning him. Anno DOMINI 33.

John 7:32

32. — murmured] Spake privately among themselves. Bp. Mann.

John 7:33

33. — Yet a little while &c.] Your attempts to seize Me are unavailing; I shall remain among you, by the appointments of God, a little while, and then ascend to Him who is in heaven. Grotius.

John 7:34

34. — thither ye cannot come.] I shall then be quite out of your reach, and received into a place where ye cannot follow Me. Dr. Clagett.

John 7:35

35. — the dispersed among the Gentiles.] It has been doubted what is the proper meaning of this expression; the literal translation is, ’the dispersion of the Greeks;’ and it probably signifies the different Gentiles who used the Grecian language, as those of Alexandria, Syria, Asia Minor, &c.; or according to others, the Jews who were dispersed through these different countries, and used the Greek language, being called on that account Hellenized, or Grecian Jews. These Jews were looked upon with a certain contempt by those of Judea. The expression seems spoken by way of reproach. Grotius. Dr. Hammond. I rather understand by the words, the Gentiles amongst whom the Jews were dispersed, not the dispersed Jews themselves. Dr. Clagett.

John 7:37

37. In the last day, that great day of the feast &c.] The last, or eighth day of the feast. On this day it was the custom to draw water from the pool of Siloam, and to offer it up in the temple with much solemnity, and the sound of various voices and instruments: this was done partly in commemoration of the miraculous relief of water produced from the stony rock by Moses, 1 Cor. x. 4, but principally to solicit the blessing of rain for the approaching seed-time. It is in allusion to this custom that our Saviour says, “If any man thirst, &c.;” taking occasion, as was usual with Him, from the circumstances then before Him, to invite them to come to Him as the true fountain. Drs. Lightfoot and Hammond.

John 7:38

38, 39. He that believeth on me, &c.] Faithfully and sincerely, shall not only be filled with Divine knowledge and wisdom himself, but moreover shall be able, by the overflowing gifts of the Holy Spirit, to derive abundantly to many others that conviction and knowledge, which is necessary to their eternal salvation. This Jesus spake, ver. 39, as of a gift to be bestowed hereafter, because that exceeding abundance of Divine gifts, which He now meant, was not to be poured out presently; but was reserved to be the effect, and the evidence, of His exaltation to the right hand of God. Dr. S. Clarke.

38. — as the scripture hath said,] The effusion of the gifts of the Holy Spirit had not only been foretold in the ancient prophecies, but likewise under this very figure of living water. Thus, among other passages, Iasi. xlv. 3, “I will pour water” &c. Dr. Clagett.

John 7:39

39. — the Holy Ghost was not yet given.] The miraculous gifts of the Holy Ghost were not yet given. See Acts xix. 2. Bp. Mann.

John 7:40

40. — the Prophet.] Whom Moses foretold, Deut. xviii. 18. Dr. Whitby. One of the Prophets risen from the dead, to make way for the coming of the Messiah. Dr. Clagett.

John 7:41

41. — the Christ.] The very Messiah.

— Shall Christ come out of Galilee?] These persons avoided all the evidence of His miracles and doctrine, by listening to that vulgar mistake, that Jesus was born at Nazareth: and they said, Shall any thing ever persuade us that Christ is to come out of Galilee? Dr. Clagett.

John 7:42

42. — where David was?] Where David dwelt with his father Jesse, 1 Sam. xvi. 1, 4. Bp. Mann.

The Pharisees chide with Nicodemus. Christ delivereth the woman Anno DOMINE 22.

John 7:46

46. — Never man spake like this man.] They were so affected with the sincerity and authority, and the Divine Spirit with which He spake, the like to which they had never before witnessed, that they could not prevail on themselves to offer Him the least violence. Dr. Clagett.

John 7:48

48. Have any of the rulers &c.] Have any of those who understand the law, and are fit to judge for you in matters of religion, believed on Him? Dr. Whitby.

John 7:49

49. But this people &c.] But these common people, who have never studied the law, are apt to run into all giddiness, and follow any false teacher. Dr. Hammond.

— are cursed.] Are all under God’s curse, having no understanding of the law, Deut. xxvii. 26. Dr. Clagett.

John 7:51

51. Doth our law judge any man, before &c.] This prejudice against Him is too hasty: in all reason you should hear what He has to say for Himself, and what any can witness against Him: our law proceeds not against any person, till we have examined him, and taken cognizance of his case. Dr. Hammond.

John 7:52

52. — Art thou also of Galilee?] This is said scoffingly: Art thou also of that sect or faction, chiefly from Galilee, who believe in this Galilean? Dr. Lightfoot.

— out of Galilee ariseth no prophet.] Galilee lay under a reproach among the Jews. See chap. i. 46. If they literally mean that no Prophet ever appeared from Galilee, their assertion is not true; for Jonah was of Gath-hepher, a town in the tribe of Zebuhn, and consequently in Galilee, 2 Kings xiv. 25; Isai. ix. 1. Dr. Hammond. But probably their meaning is, that the Messiah was not to arise from Galilee, ver. 41. These chief priests and council must have known, by the coming of the wise men from the East, that Christ was born at Bethlehem, Luke ii. 16, &c.: but prejudice had closed their eyes against the clearest truth. Dr. Whitby.

John 7:53

53. And every man went &c.] Finding that controversies were growing among themselves, they determined that nothing more could be done at that time: accord-

tery. 12 He preacheth himself the light of the world, and justifieth his doctrine: 33 answereth the Jews that boasted of Abraham, 59 and conveyeth himself from their cruelty.

Anno DOMINE 22. JESUS went unto the mount of Olives.